Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (aka Niedersachsen und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) are jointly purchasing four new Airbus H145 police helicopters – two for each federal state. The contract for the cross-border cooperation has now been awarded to the company Airbus. Joint procurement takes place via the Lower Saxony Logistics Center (LZN), which saves effort, time and money. Through procurement from LZN, a price of 42.7 million euros was achieved for the two Lower Saxony helicopters. However, the state budget was originally budgeted at around 46 million euros. The two new police helicopters are expected to be operational in 2026 and will represent an important addition to the police’s existing resources.

The Lower Saxony Minister for the Interior and Sport, Daniela Behrens, says: “With an area of ​​over 47,700 km2, the use of police helicopters is essential for internal security in Lower Saxony. Our police do highly professional work every day. To do this, it requires the best possible equipment and resources – this applies on land, on water and in the air. In order to continue to ensure the round-the-clock availability of our police helicopter squadron, we are working with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to procure four new helicopters in the 4-ton class – two for each federal state. I am pleased that we have now been able to award the contract. This is a significant step to further strengthen our airborne surveillance and operational capabilities.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Minister for the Interior, Construction and Digitalization, Christian Pegel, says: “Joint procurement saves us a lot of money, as we had hoped. We save several million euros compared to individual procurement. In return, we are getting ultra-modern helicopters for our police, which can also provide our fire brigades with aerial support in difficult fires if necessary.”

As part of the joint procurement cooperation, both countries have acquired four state-of-the-art Airbus H145 police helicopters. The new helicopters will play an important role in fighting crime, rescue operations, disaster control and securing major events.

The newly acquired helicopters, designed specifically for police use, offer a number of technological advances and functions that significantly expand the police’s operational capabilities. These 4-ton class helicopters are characterized by their high maneuverability and range, advanced sensors and versatility. These advantages enable the police to respond quickly to a wide range of operational situations, e.g. B. to be able to react to pursuits and searches.

The advanced helicopters also play an important role in fighting fires. The helicopters can transport water or extinguishing agents to support fire brigade operations from the air. Hard-to-reach or remote fire locations can be reached where traditional methods may be limited.

The decision to purchase the Airbus H145 police helicopter underlines the commitment of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to further improve public safety and order. Working together on this significant investment also demonstrates the benefits of a transnational partnership in the area of ​​homeland security.

Ministers Behrens and Ministerpelle make it clear: “This investment will help to increase the security of the citizens of our countries. The acquisition of the Airbus H145 police helicopters marks an important step towards even more effective policing and a better management of internal security challenges.”